Lock top metal container



Feb. 16, 1937. c. SCHMIDT LOCK TOP METAL CONTAINER Filed Oct. 51, 1935 ul iilliiiiii Sums Patented Feb. 16, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LOCK TOP METAL CONTAINER Application October 31, 1935, Serial No. 47,691

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in metal containers and more particularly to a metal container wherein the cover may be quickly attached and positively held in locked engagement with the container body.

The present invention particularly relates to an improvement in a container of the type shown in the copending application of Charles Schmidt, Serial No. 27,971, filed June 22, 1935. In the use of containers of the type shown in the above application, it has been found that when the cover is snapped over the container end with the cooperating locking devices on the container body and on the cover in alignment, the metal on the cover between adjacent holding lugs will spring inwardly and sometimes bite into the body portion of the container, thus disfiguring the cover and preventing a proper seating of the cover on the container body. It has also been found that when the cover is placed on the container body and given a slight turning movement to lock the same together, the holding lug on the cover will sometimes pass over the stop shoulder on the container body because of the straighteningout of the metal on the cover flange between adjacent holding lugs thereon. Then, too, when the metal of the cover flange is bent out of line before the cover is applied to the: container body, some of the holding lugs will. be only loosely engaged because of this. tendency of the metal on the cover flange to straighten out between the holding lugs. The present invention aims to overcome the above and other difiiculties.

An object of the invention is to provide a metal container wherein the cover and the container body are provided with cooperating locking parts and wherein means are provided. for maintaining the: shape of the cover flange when it is pressed on and lockedto the container body so as to insure a positive locking engagement therebetween.

The above and other objectsof the invention will in part be obvious and will be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In. the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a. fragmentary side elevation showing a container and a cover therefor with the parts separated.

Fig; 2 is a diagrammatic: view showing the position of the detents on the cover flange and the holding lugs on the container body without the improvementv of the present invention.

3 is a similar diagrammatic view embodying the improvement of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the cover and container according to the present invention with the same in locked engagement.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the stop shoulders on the container and the holding lugs on the cover in the position which sometimes occurs without employing the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a similar diagrammatic view showing the cooperating parts on the container embodying the improvement of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side view in section showing the cover and container body in closed position embodying the improvement of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a similar side view in section showing the looking parts.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, the container includes a body portion It curled inwardly at the open end thereof to provide a closed strengthening bead indicated at H. At a short distance beneath the beaded edge II, the body is curled outwardly to form a strengthening head as indicated at l2. Between the beads H and 2 at spaced intervals are locking lugs which are all similar in construction so that the description of one will answer for the others. These locking lugs are formed by bending the metal of the body portion outwardly and are indicated at 13. Each locking lug I3 is shaped to provide an upper edge portion M- which is substantially parallel with the upper beaded edge I I of the container body. The lower edge portion 15 of the locking lug is inclined downwardly from right to left as viewed from the outside of the container. This inclined edge portion [5 terminates in 2. depending vertically disposed stop shoulder I6 which merges into the upper edge of the bead I 2. The bead I2 thus serves to aid in' preventing the body portion in the region of the stop shoulder IE from sprmging to allow the lug on the cover to slip by. Portions of the locking lug t3 are forced inwardly to provide spaced. depressions or recesses ll, [8. In the space between adjacent locking lugs l3 on the container body, the metal of the container is bent outward-1y to form lugs H! which extend outwardly from the container body substantially the same distance as the locking lugs l3. These lugs or projections l9 are disposed slightly above the bead l2.

The cover, which"- is indicated at 20 in the drawing; has adepending flange 2| which is curled outwardly to form a solid bead 22 so as to' strengthen the lower edge" thereof. Directly LII above the beaded lower edge of the cover flange 2! are a series of holding lugs 23 which are symmetrically spaced with respect to the locking lugs I3 on the container body. These lugs 23 extend inwardly from the cover flange 2| and are parallel with the beaded edge 22 and, while disposed directly above the beaded edge, they do, in eflect, merge into the beaded edge so that they will not spring except as the edge springs. The holding lugs 23 are relatively short and dimensioned so that they will pass through the space between the locking lugs I3 on the container body, and when the cover is turned, the lugs 23 will pass beneath the inclined face I5 of the lugs I3 so as to draw the cover down into tight sealing contact with the container body.

As shown in the foregoing copending application, the cover is provided with a peripheral depression which forms the U-shaped channel 24 which contacts with the upper curved face of the bead II so as to form a tight sealing contact therebetween when the cover is drawn down onto the container body. The inclined face I5 of the locking lug I3 is so dimensioned that the lug 23 on the cover comes into contact with the vertical stop shoulder I6 when the cover is in tight sealing contact with the container body. An additional sealing contact is also made between the bead 22 on the cover and the strengthening bead I2 on the body. The cover is provided with a knurled portion by which the cover may be easily turned.

Directly above the lug 23 on the cover is an inward projection or detent 26. As the lug 23 passes along the inclined face I5 on the lug I3, the detent 26 will pass up onto the face of the lug I3 and into the recesses I8 and I! in order, thus providing a positive locking means for preventing any accidental turning of the cover relative to the container body.

Referring to Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing, and particularly at this time to Fig. 2, there is shown diagrammatically what often occurs in the use of lock-top containers of this type wherein no means are provided for preventing the straightening of the cover between adjacent lugs thereon. There is a decided tendency for the metal of the depending flange 2I on the cover to straighten out and tend to assume a straight line position between adjacent detents 26 as the said detents pass over the raised portions of the locking lug I3 on the container body. As the flange on the cover approaches the body portion of the container, there is less resistance offered to the passage of the detents 26 out of the recesses in the locking lugs I3 on the container body so that it often occurs that the detents 26 will pass out of the recesses II, thus rendering this locking means ineffectual for preventing accidental turning of the cover. This is illustrated particularly in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3, however, the present invention is illustrated diagrammatically showing the lug I9 which tends to prevent the straightening out of the cover flange between adjacent holding lugs thereon. Since the metal of the cover flange is limited in its movement toward the body portion of the container and thus prevented from straightening out to the extent illustrated in Fig. 2, there is an increased resistance ofiered to the passage of the detents 26 over the raised portions of the locking lugs I3 so that any tendency for the detents 26 to pass out of the recess I! in the lug I3 is prevented. The parts are shown in locked position in Fig. 4 and it will be seen that the container body and the cover flange are maintained in substantially parallel relationship entirely around the same. The lugs I9, by holding the cover flange 2i away from the body portion of the container, tend to urge the detents 26 into the recesses in the locking lugs I3.

Referring to Fig. 5, there is illustrated diagrammatically a similar tendency for the holding lugs 23 on the cover flange to pass over the stop shoulder IE on the locking lugs I3 when the metal of the cover flange 2i between adjacent holding lugs straightens out and approaches the body portion of the container. Thus, it sometimes occurs that the holding lugs 23 on the cover will pass over the stop shoulders I6 as often occurs with the detents 26, as indicated above. However, the provision of the lugs I9 to limit the inward movement of the cover flange 2| will prevent the inward flexing of the cover flange, thus effectually preventing any tendency for the lugs 23 to pass over the stop shoulders I B.

In forming the lugs on the cover flange, there is a tendency to produce a non-cylindrical cover flange. In other words, the flange between adjacent holding lugs tends to straighten out and assume a hexagonal shape when, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, six holding lugs are employed. In the placing of the cover on the container, very often the holding lugs 23 on the cover flange are placed directly over the locking lugs I3 on the container body, as shown in Fig. 1, and the cover is pressed down, causing the holding lugs to snap over the locking lugs and effect a locking engagement in this manner. This outward pressure on the holding lugs of the cover flange, together with the tendency of the flange to straighten out, sometimes causes the lower edge of the flange to bite into and grip the wall of the container body to such an extent that the seating of the cover is prevented and there results a disfiguration of the container. The locking lugs I 9 prevent this occurrence for the reason that these lugs contact with the lower edge of the cover flange between the holding lugs 23 thereon and prevent its inward flexing. In this manner, the cover flange, under the conditions stated, is positively held from biting into and destroying the container body.

It is to be clearly understood that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A metal container comprising an open-ended body portion, said body portion being shaped below and adjacent the open end thereof to form a series of spaced locking lugs, each of said lugs having a downwardly inclined lower face terminating in a vertical stop shoulder, and a cover having a depending flange, said flange being shaped to provide a series of relatively short holding lugs cooperating with the inclined faces of the locking lugs on said body portion for locking the cover thereon, and said body portion being provided with lugs located between adjacent locking lugs thereon and extending substantially the same distance away from the body portion for preventing the inward flexing of the cover flange between adjacent holding lugs thereon and thereby preventing the outward flexing of the cover flange in the region of the holding lugs thereon so as to prevent the said holding lugs from slipping over said shoulders when the cover is finally seated.

2. A metal container comprising an open-ended body portion, said body portion being shaped below and adjacent the open end thereof to form a series of widely spaced locking lugs, a cover having a depending flange, said flange having a series of widely spaced holding lugs cooperating with the locking lugs on said body portion for locking the cover thereon, and means disposed on said body portion between adjacent locking lugs for maintaining the cover flange substantially parallel to the body portion during the seating of the cover thereon.

3. A metal container comprising an open ended body portion, said body portion being shaped below and adjacent the open end thereof to form a series of widely spaced locking lugs,

each of said locking lugs having a downwardly inclined lower face terminating in a vertical stop shoulder, a cover having a depending flange, said flange being shaped to provide a series of relatively short widely spaced holding lugs cooperating with the inclined faces of said locking lugs on the body portion for locking the cover thereon, and means disposed between said cover flange and the body portion of the container and intermediate adjacent lugs for preventing the inward flexing of the cover flange between adjacent lugs thereon whereby to prevent said lugs from slipping over said shoulders when the cover is finally seated.

CHARLES SCHMIDT. 

